HOW OKOROJI SHARED THE =N=200,000 HE COLLECTED FROM EFE OMOROGBE

EXCLUSIVE!!!

HOW OKOROJI SHARED THE =N=200,000 HE COLLECTED FROM EFE OMOROGBE

It will be recalled that Justice Josephine  Oyefeso of the High Court of Lagos State in Ikeja, last year ordered Artiste Manager, Efe Omorogbe of Now Muzik to pay COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji a total of =N=200,000.00 as cost for truncating  trial in two undefended defamation cases brought by Chief Okoroji against Omorogbe. Just as the trials were about to begin in Justice Oyefeso’s court, Omorogbe’s lawyer rushed to court to beg the judge to suspend the trial so that Omorogbe could file defence to the suits.

For over 9 months, Mr. Omorogbe struggled, failed or neglected to pay the money prompting Okoroji’s lawyers to write to him warning him that if he did not pay the money within two weeks, Garnishee proceedings would be commenced to levy execution on Omorogbe’s property over the debt. As a result, Efe Omorogbe rushed to pay the sum of =N=200,000.00 to the account of Whitedove Solicitors, lawyers to Chief Tony Okoroji.

Unknown to many, the =N=200,000.00 was treated as war bounty at COSON House and Okoroji’s TOPS Ltd, both in Ikeja and among Chief Okoroji’s friends and relations. To many of Okoroji’s people, the money was seen as appetizer in what they consider to be the fruits of a main dish of damages to come as a price for  Omorogbe’s audacity to organize a failed ‘coup’ against the man considered by many to be his mentor and friend and the attempt to widely rubbish the name and character of the most respected former president of PMAN.

Tony Okoroji, the master of copyright royalty distribution, took the position that the money did not belong to him but to the many people who have stood by him in the war declared against him by the Efe Omorogbe led gang.

A source close to Chief Okoroji says that over one hundred people got a share of the Efe Omorogbe ‘loot’. Among those said to have got a piece of the action are Okoroji’s wife, his driver and housekeeper and every member of the COSON Board. On the day the members of the COSON staff got their share of the money, there was wide jubilation at COSON House. In unison, they thundered out the COSON mantra, “let the music pay!” Thereafter, some of the staff spent their money on recharge cards, others on pepper soup and drinks. At Okoroji’s TOPS Ltd, the scene was repeated. We are also informed that several of Okoroji’s close friends such as Patrick Doyle and his fiery lawyer and friend, Mr. James Ononiwu, did not miss out in the bonanza.

Said our source, “you will be surprised that some journalists got their own share of the money and so did some staff of the NCC who are pretending to be fighting Chief Tony Okoroji. ‘Presido’ did not spend one naira of the money on himself. I am not sure that he is interested in Efe Omorogbe’s money. I believe he just wants Efe Omorogbe to learn a bitter lesson”.

P.M Walker for TOPS

Culled from dailynewscover.com

COSON APPROVES ADDITIONAL =N=22.5 MILLION FOR NIGERIAN MUSICIANS AS CORONAVIRUS RELIEF.

COSON APPROVES ADDITIONAL =N=22.5 MILLION FOR NIGERIAN MUSICIANS AS CORONAVIRUS RELIEF.

As a result of the extension of the lockdown across the country which has increased the hardship of the citizens and made entertainment activities impossible all over the nation, the Board of Nigeria’s biggest and most respected copyright collective management organization, COSON, has approved an additional sum of =N=22.5 Million as Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief Distribution to its members. This is in addition to the =N=50 Million originally approved.

Speaking on the development, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, “starting immediately, with the co-operation of the banks, each of about 4,500 qualified members of COSON will receive an alert for an additional sum of Five Thousand Naira added to the initial sum of eleven thousand naira in the Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief (ACER) General Distribution. Those who for any reason have not received the initial Eleven Thousand Naira will receive a straight-forward Sixteen Thousand Naira. If this helps some of our members to buy some garri or some rice, we will be happy. We truly wish we could do more and we would have been able to do more if not for the constant irrational harassment and the many obstacles placed on our way by a government agency which has completely misunderstood its mandate. Is it not terrible that in these hard times, no one apart from COSON appears to be doing anything for the Nigerian artiste?

“I am in touch with many members of COSON who are in need of continued assistance. Other members of our Board are receiving similar messages. It is our sacred duty to provide for our members and we will not shake that duty. COSON must continue to be responsible and responsive to the needs of those we serve and there should be no excuse not to help them wade through these very difficult times.

“I am once again proud of the quick response of members of the COSON Board who have shown great understanding that we must continue to be our brothers’ keeper. I am also proud of the COSON management team of Vincent Adawaisi, Isa Aruna, Anthony Imuse and Tolu Balogun who have ensured that every instruction of the Board is executed with dispatch”.

Said Chief Okoroji, “From the beginning, we took a decision that COSON would be a world class organization, transparent, accountable, credible and totally focused on the well-being of its members. Once you walk into the magnificent COSON House in Ikeja, you cannot but feel an organization run on the cutting edge of management and technology. The well laid out sparkling clean environment and the quality of the staff will immediately tell you that this is not your typical Nigerian organization. That is why some cannot stop themselves from throwing stones at us.

“I know that we cannot please everyone but we are working very hard every day to lift up the musicians of Nigeria, promote and defend our industry and provide visible solutions to the challenges of our members. I very well know that much of the attack on COSON is a product of envy. We have consistently done that which many thought was impossible in Nigeria. We have absolutely no interest in the cantankerous name calling and rabid character assassination which many appear to dwell in. We are not interested because none of the squabbling will provide one cup of rice for the Nigerian musician or one cube of sugar for his tea”.

Concluded Chief Okoroji, “I know that questions will be asked whether COSON can afford this additional palliative in the light of the present circumstances. My answer is that with prudent management, we can. It is fraud and stealing that make things impossible in Nigeria. In keeping with our tradition, no hanky-panky or shady dealing will be tolerated in the disbursements. I will continue to provide consistent updates. At the end of the exercise, the minutest details of the disbursements will be brought before the Board and the General Assembly for thorough examination and ratification”.

Peter Asiegbu

MUSICIANS GET 50 MILLION NAIRA CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FROM COSON TO CUSHION THE ONGOING LOCKDOWN

BREAKING NEWS!

50 MILLION NAIRA CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FROM COSON TO CUSHION THE ONGOING LOCKDOWN

Starting from Tuesday evening, thousands of musicians across the country would receive bank alerts as Anti-Corona Emergency Relief Distribution from COSON, Nigeria’s biggest and most respected Copyright Collective Management Organization. The distribution is in reaction to the hardship and distress being faced by many musicians in Nigeria who have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the current lockdown which has also stopped entertainment activities across the country.

For the distribution, the COSON Board has approved the sum of 50 Million Naira to be shared amongst about 4,500 members on the society’s register as at May 19, 2019. In the midst of the current

crisis and following several S.O.S. messages from COSON members facing deep hardship all over the nation, the COSON Board over the weekend, met online in an emergency session and after vigorous discussions, approved the distribution.

Speaking on the development, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, “I have personally received calls from several members of COSON who are desperate for immediate assistance of any kind. Other members of our Board have received similar messages. At a time like this, COSON must be responsible and responsive to the needs of our members and we should do everything we can to help them wade through these hard times. That is the very reason why COSON was set up. I am proud of the quick response of members of the COSON Board who showed great understanding that we must be our brothers’ keeper at a time like this.

“Starting immediately, with the co-operation of the banks, each qualified member of COSON will receive a modest sum of eleven thousand naira in what we have termed Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief (ACER) General Distribution. We are able to do this because of the deft management of our resources. We wish we could do more. I however believe that most people are aware of what we have been through in recent times. Let me thank the COSON management team of Vincent Adawaisi, Isa Aruna and Anthony Imuse who burnt the midnight oil to ensure that the decision of the Board is executed with dispatch”.

On outstanding Specific Distributions, the COSON Chairman said, “Every member of the Board is very eager that all outstanding specific distributions should be paid without any delay. The issue was prominent in our discussions on the emergency relief distribution. While the Board and the General Assembly have approved the specific distributions, it is common knowledge that COSON funds in two banks are frozen. The money for the specific distributions is domiciled in the frozen accounts. The money is safe. Not one Naira is missing. It is also common knowledge that we have gone to court to have the accounts unfrozen and immediately that happens, the money will be paid. In any case, all those entitled to Specific distribution will also receive the Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief (ACER) General Distribution.

“It is unfortunate that it is some of our colleagues that requested the banks to freeze the accounts which has brought this suffering to innocent COSON members and even to those who took the action. That is why we need to be very careful about what we say and what we do.”

“I hope that we will use this very challenging period to think deeply. We have built COSON to be there for musicians through thick and thin. We work hard to ensure that COSON takes care of musicians while they are alive and celebrates them even in death. Has anyone forgotten how in an unprecedented manner we buried the late Ras Kimono like a king?

Said the COSON Chairman, “Some people may think that because things are going well for them today, they will never need COSON. I have been in the industry long enough to know that the day will come when each of us needs an institution like COSON. When I hear people in our industry call on government to clamp down on COSON or that those who owe us money should not pay us, I ask why anyone would choose to urinate into a well from which he might soon draw water to drink when he is desperately thirsty”

Concluded Chief Okoroji, “I know that I cannot please everyone but I am working hard every day to lift up the musicians of Nigeria, promote and defend our industry and provide visible solutions to the problems of each of us. I have absolutely no interest in the cantankerous name calling and rabid character assassination which many appear to dwell in and which do not provide even one cup of garri for any Nigerian artiste or one cube of Maggi for his pot of soup”.

FOR COSON: PM Walker

COSON...Let The Music Pay!